Senior Special Counsel

About the role

The Office of the Chief Accountant is seeking an Attorney Adviser (Senior Special Counsel) in its Office of the Chief Counsel. As a Senior Special Counsel, you will have an opportunity to work on significant enforcement and legal policy matters at the intersection of the federal securities laws and the accounting profession.

What you will do

• Serving as an expert legal adviser and consultant for OCA programs.
• Performing legal research, preparing high-quality legal memoranda, formulating advice and recommending legal courses of action that fulfill the SEC's mission and contribute to SEC compliance with existing laws and regulations.
• Consulting or liaising with the Division of Enforcement to provide legal support in matters pertaining to accounting, auditing, and internal controls.
• Advising on legal and policy aspects of a broad spectrum of matters that come before OCA, including interpretation and analysis of existing and proposed rules, regulations, and policies of the Commission, other government entities, and private organizations such as self-regulatory organizations and third-party standard-setters.
• Preparing and presenting briefings to various parties on legal issues, including to Commissioners and their counsels when they have questions regarding OCA matters.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.

Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course.

If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here.

Applicants may also find the following helpful: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice.

Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics.

How you will be evaluated

Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement. Please do not submit an Accomplishment Record at this time.

If you are found minimally qualified, you will be invited to participate in an Accomplishment Record Interview that functions as a skills-based assessment review of the competencies listed in the Qualifications section. This is a screening step, not the final job interview.

Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records interview responses and resume, then place them into one of the following categories: Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.

Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies. Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies.

Top ranked applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s). To preview the Questionnaire, click ***

Documents you must provide

• Your responses to the Questionnaire.
• Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above.
• If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.
• Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration.
• For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page.
• SEC EMPLOYEES: OHR will verify your eligibility via the SEC's personnel database.

What to expect next

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.

You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at *** and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application.

If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be terminated after you begin work, or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation before appointment.

The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, certification of disability, etc.).

Additional information

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency. SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes.

The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. If your selection results in a change in grade from an SK-15 to an SK-16, you will maintain your current salary.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be minimally qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection.

CTAP eligibles will be considered minimally qualified if they meet the minimum requirements for this position. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact ***.

For religious-based accommodations, please contact *** . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: For more information, please click here.

The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant.

An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at ***.